Sam Darnold: No team should tank for me

Talk that the Jets could tank the 2017 season with an eye on choosing USC quarterback Sam Darnold with the first pick in the 2018 NFL draft don’t seem to sit well with Darnold.

Darnold told Dianna Russini of ESPN that he thinks tanking for him would be silly.

“I don’t think any team should tank their season because of me,” Darnold said.

Darnold redshirted in 2015 while Cody Kessler started for USC, and then earned the starting job early in the 2016 season. He showed steady improvement over the course of his first season as a starter, culminating in a Rose Bowl MVP award, and he is now viewed by many as the best pro prospect currently playing college football.

But Darnold still has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining, and there’s been talk that he could stay in school rather than entering the 2018 draft. That would be very bad news for any team tanking 2017 for the chance to take him, but Darnold said that he simply isn’t in a position yet to make up his mind about whether to turn pro in six months.

If Darnold does turn pro, he’ll be a strong option for whatever team finishes 2017 with the league’s worst record.

When was the last time a kid entered the season as an unequivocal favorite at the top of the draft that didn’t find their status seriously revised by the time of the actual draft. Not saying he won’t be the top pick but look what happened to Watson and so many before him. Some kid will come out of nowhere or he’ll have a mediocre season or break an arm… who even knows.

I don’t get it, what makes him think he is the best QB prospect to begin with? His college coach told him so?

All this hype with very little in terms of results. Remember Geno Smith blowing a gasket because he wasn’t taken in the 1st round? As time has proven, the Jets would have been wasting a 7th round pick on Geno as it turns out.

There are at least two or three legit franchise QBs coming out next year. Then there are always the Joe Montana’s (3rd round), Tom Brady’s (6th round), Dak Prescott’s (4th round). Derek Carr, Brett Favre, and Drew Brees (2nd round). Kurt Warner and Tony Romo (undrafted). Good scouts can find QBs. Nobody tanks. That’s just a myth that gets perpetuated by bad GM’s. Their team stinks up the joint, so they float the idea that they tanked. Lol.

The Jets were 5-11 last year. They got rid of 99% of the roster of players over the age of 30. They have no QB. Young WR’s. Skeptical running game.. Very young Defense which cud be good if the O was able to stay on the field.. Although they still don’t have an edge rusher.. Wilkerson is overpaid. Can’t get to the QB. Not sure they need to tank. Looking at there schedule I only see potential for 2 wins. Bills and Browns. Jags are an outside possibility but I think they will be much better this year.. I’m looking at 1-15. Hopefully that gets the number 1 pick. If it’s not going to be Darnold we’ll take Allen from Wyoming or the kid from UCLA.. The Jets are in full blown rebuild. Using the draft as the main component to collect players. I think it’s the right move. It may take 2 or 3 years but you will see the Jets in the playoff’s soon.

Now why did he say that? Because he doesn’t want to play for the Jets. Or Browns. Or Bears. Or Jags, or 49ers, or even the Rams. And he also said that thinking if he plays his next two years after 2017, then he’ll be ready for a team he wants to play for in 2019…and will tank to get him-the Chargers, now of LA, and by then, Ol’ Man Rivers will be ready to retire.

Or maybe he wants to replace another QB who will (though he’ll never admit it) likely retire by then–Tom Brady.

Since he doesn’t want to play for a perennial loser like the Jets or Browns or a few others that fit that category, he’ll wait until a team he does want to play for that is not a perennial loser (the Chargers, now of LA), to tank since Ol’ Man Rivers is about to retire (say, in 2019)…or even better, the Patriots, when Tom Brady is (if he ever admits it) set to retire…I mean, does anyone think JimmyG is gonna wait three more years for Brady to retire? And may not matter anyway…by then, Gase’s Dolphins will own the AFC East anyway!

Name any decent QB from USC or the big schools from the state of Florida since 1990. There are two exceptions of good, but certainly not elite QBs: Carson Palmer and Jameis Winston. All others are busts or merely average.

The only conclusion we can gather is these guys were great in college but their NFL teams/coaches probably killed their career. Maybe they weren’t made for the NFL or maybe the coaches just didn’t play to their strengths…who knows.

jimmyjohns01 says:
Jul 12, 2017 1:33 PM
As much as I’d like to make fun of USC QBs, realistically, look at the teams that drafted them. It’s not like they inherited a winning team or had successful coaches.
I mean, look at the coach to QB relationship (1st rounds):
Marvin Lewis – Palmer
Rex Ryan – Sanchez
Ken Whisenhunt – Leinart
The only conclusion we can gather is these guys were great in college but their NFL teams/coaches probably killed their career. Maybe they weren’t made for the NFL or maybe the coaches just didn’t play to their strengths…who knows.

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Palmer has had a decent career. Sure, no Super Bowl wins, but he’s still out there starting. Not so bad. I believe if it wasn’t for that knee injury against the Steelers his career would be even better.

Sanchez went to two straight AFC Championships. He was on the right path. Butt fumble killed his career. Lots of guys would have taken that for an NFL career.

Leinart just wasn’t that great from his first start. His college stats were fantastic. I think he had an entitlement problem and he didn’t realize it until it was too late. It wasn’t the coach.

“Leaf appears to be the hot QB in this draft, and he led WSU to a storybook season…He is a physically imposing QB with great size and strength….he is very sturdy and durable in the pocket, and is a surprisingly good athlete for his size…He has a strong arm and shows good touch, and can change up the speed on his passes…He has good feet, but is not really a scrambler. However, he can stand in and take the big hits….He is a very naturally gifted player, but could improve on his throwing mechanics, although it is not a major problem….There are no physical or athletic limitations to hold Leaf back from becoming a great NFL QB.”

Manning and Elway have been to 9 Super Bowls and won 4 combined. You can’t compare a prospect to an actually successful player.

First off there is like 4 or 5 other good Qbs coming out next year..who to say he is even going to be the number 1 guy…there are atleast 4 other qbs coming out and they are all pretty damn good qbs too..so dont think so small all the time..think out the box..